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When those embroiled in the eternal conflict known as Guild Wars 2 log into their favorite online roleplaying game on April 1, they'll notice something a bit odd about their characters - specifically, each inhabitant of the game will now feature a gigantic head.

The momentary alteration has no effect on a player's stats, but as you can see in the Vine footage below the break, all Guild Wars 2 characters now resemble ambulatory bobblehead dolls. Developer ArenaNet justifies the change by saying, "If players like characters that have heads, logic dictates that they'll love characters with freakishly large heads, which is why we've added [200 percent] more cranium to all player characters!"

Though there's no official word on when the noggins of Guild Wars 2 will return to their normal dimensions, we don't expect the change to last beyond 12AM on April 2.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april-fools-2014arenanetbig-head-modebigheadGuild-Wars-2headsmacpcTue, 01 Apr 2014 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/28/guild-wars-2-dodges-subscription-fee-in-china/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/28/guild-wars-2-dodges-subscription-fee-in-china/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/28/guild-wars-2-dodges-subscription-fee-in-china/#comments
ArenaNet announced that it will not institute a subscription model or introduce free-to-play elements when its MMORPG Guild Wars 2 launches in China this year, subverting the region's dominant time-based, pay-to-play trends for online games.

Guild Wars 2 will launch in China as a one-time purchase supported by frequent free updates, maintaining the same business model supporting the game since its launch in 2012. The upcoming Chinese version, which ArenaNet will produce in a publishing partnership with KongZhong Corporation, will see timely updates that mirror content additions in North America and Europe.

The Chinese version of Guild Wars 2 will enter a two-week closed beta test on March 11.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetGuild-Wars-2kongzhong-corporationmmommorpgncsoftpcFri, 28 Feb 2014 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/03/arenanet-extends-guild-wars-2-sale-free-trial/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/03/arenanet-extends-guild-wars-2-sale-free-trial/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/03/arenanet-extends-guild-wars-2-sale-free-trial/#comments
Developer ArenaNet has announced that the ongoing Guild Wars 2 free trial will be extended through next week. Instead of ending today as initially planned, European and American players will be able to experience the MMORPG free of charge until Monday, October 7 at 3AM EST.

ArenaNet is also extending its sale on Guild Wars 2, a bargain which now comes to an end on Wednesday, October 9 at 3AM EST. Until that time, prospective adventurers can purchase the Digital Heroic Version of Guild Wars 2 for $40 ($10 less than its standard price) or the Digital Deluxe Edition for $45 (a $25 discount from its normal $70 price tag). As ArenaNet points out, Guild Wars 2 requires no subscription fees; once you've purchased the game, it's yours to enjoy.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetdemofreefree-trialguild-warsguild-wars-2ncsoftpcsaleThu, 03 Oct 2013 18:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/retro-inspired-super-adventure-box-returns-to-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/retro-inspired-super-adventure-box-returns-to-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/06/retro-inspired-super-adventure-box-returns-to-guild-wars-2/#commentsSuper Adventure Box was created as an April Fools' Day joke, but thanks to fan support, the virtual "virtual reality simulator" has made a return to Guild Wars 2.

Within the MMO, Super Adventure Box is described as a training simulation designed to educate young members of the industrious, diminutive Asuran race. Outside of Guild Wars 2 canon however, Super Adventure Box is best known as a joke that found unexpected success. Earlier this year, developer ArenaNet created a commercial for the then-fictional platformer as an April Fools' Day joke. The commercial was an instant hit with fans, so as part of the developer's commitment to launching new content for Guild Wars 2 every two weeks, ArenaNet developed Super Adventure Box in earnest, first releasing it as a browser-based 2D platformer, then as a full-fledged 3D addition to Guild Wars 2.

For more information on Super Adventure Box and the rewards it offers, have a look at ArenaNet's handy study guide.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april-foolsarenanetGuild-Wars-2mmopcsuper-adventure-boxFri, 06 Sep 2013 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/guild-wars-2-gets-a-retro-2d-platformer-thanks-to-an-april-fool/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/guild-wars-2-gets-a-retro-2d-platformer-thanks-to-an-april-fool/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/guild-wars-2-gets-a-retro-2d-platformer-thanks-to-an-april-fool/#commentsArenaNet, the developer behind Guild Wars 2, has released a 2D platformer called Rytlock's Critter Rampage, available to play for free in your browser.

The game's derived from an '80s-style commercial the company made as an April Fools' joke earlier this month. The commercial itself was for a 3D platformer called Super Adventure Box, which ArenaNet also created for real inside its popular MMO.

ArenaNet says Rytlock's Critter Rampage was going to be cobbled together from a few sprites for the sake of the joke, but cinematic artist Delly Sartika had wanted to build a retro platformer and did the whole thing in about three weeks.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april-fools-jokearenanetcinematic-artistfreefunGuild-Wars-2pcplatformerreleaserytlocks-critter-rampagesuper-adventure-boxWed, 24 Apr 2013 03:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/time-space-and-guild-wars-2/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.

I suppose that people wouldn't complain about massively multiplayer RPGs all seeming the same if they didn't all have the same perspective, interface, combat system, and progression models, to name just a few things (there are many, many more). Yet I think the most important similarity is in how MMRPGs all use time and space - what you spend your time doing and where it happens. It seems that no matter the game in the genre, you spend roughly the same amount of time questing, walking, fighting, or crafting in similar places - this is part of why The Secret World's investigation quests felt so fresh.

Compare the lack of variety on these terms with first-person shooters, and it's easy to see that MMRPGs (with the exception of EVE Online) lack variety in their rhythm. It doesn't have to be this way. There's no conceptual reason why many persistent worlds have to be notable only for how much it deviates from models set by game such as EverQuest and World Of Warcraft.

Guild Wars 2 doesn't change the common perspective, interface, etc., making it look and play much like just about everything else in the genre. However, in terms of time and space, and how accessible (both in the literal and metaphorical sense of the word) it is. It's a dramatic shift for the genre. Guild Wars 2 makes traveling easy.

Guild Wars 2, the MMO so popular that its developer felt obligated to stop online sales in order to maintain quality control for players, was the top selling game in the UK last week. According to Chart-Track, the game enjoyed the "second largest launch ever for a non-Warcraft MMO PC title, behind Star Wars: The Old Republic." Let us hope that Guild Wars 2 doesn't suffer the same fate as the MMO in a galaxy far, far away.

Guild Wars 2 is also the first PC-exclusive game in the UK to reach the top spot since Football Manager 2011 in November of 2010. It should be noted that Guild Wars 2 was also sold as a digitally distributed product, which would not be counted by Chart-Track.

Sleeping Dogs slides one spot into second, showing it has a longer sales tail than Darksiders 2, which had sales drop 71 percent last week to go from second to sixth. Ride past the break for the UK top ten.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainchart-trackchart-track-weeklyGuild-Wars-2microsoftpcplaystationps3Sleeping-DogsukxboxMon, 03 Sep 2012 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/02/stiq-flicks-guild-wars-2-and-stand-by-me/#commentsStiq Flicks - from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly - examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens.

Guild Wars 2 seeks to revive the MMO genre that has been long-served by the now-aging World of Warcraft. While the game is different in many ways, you'll still be questing, adventuring and most importantly of all, partying up with others in order to become better, stronger and more resourceful.

That makes me think of all of the movies where a band of different adventurers come together in the name of a quest. There's actually a lot more than you would think, ranging from the ragtag group of time-traveling little people who snag hapless Kevin out of bed and into their hijinx in Time Bandits, to the motley group of kids in The Goonies who set out to find One-Eyed Willy's treasure.

There's also a slew of movies that deals with role-playing games. From Tom Hank's first starring role in Mazes and Monsters - based on the book of the same name, which is in turn based on events detailed in the investigative crime book The Dungeon Master - all the way to the documentary The Dungeon Masters, which I highlighted on the Joystiq Box Office a couple of years ago.

But without a great film that combines both a group of adventurers and the role-playing experience, at least until The Knights of Badassdom finally comes out, I'm applying the tried and true archetypes of adventure-partying to the classic Stand By Me.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetGuild-Wars-2NCSoftpcSun, 02 Sep 2012 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/joystream-watch-the-guild-wars-2-beta-stress-test-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/joystream-watch-the-guild-wars-2-beta-stress-test-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/27/joystream-watch-the-guild-wars-2-beta-stress-test-live/#commentsFor a limited time today, developer ArenaNet is putting its upcoming online world, Guild Wars 2, to the test with a four-hour beta event. Joystiq, having recently discovered the joy of yelling into a microphone while readers watch editors fail at video games, will be streaming the tail-end of today's event. Watch it after the break.

From 3:30pm to 5pm ET, the stream from Joystiq's new Twitch.tv account (which you should totally follow) will be open. While Xav de Matos plays through the game with a fresh character, Massively columnist Elisabeth Cardy will be on hand to manage your questions from the stream chat and comments on this post. Hilarious banter between both editors is expected, but not guaranteed.

This event represents a game still in beta and things may not function properly. Due to the nature of a "stress test" we may experience crashes, game freezes, and other performance and connection issues. The stream will later be available on Joystiq's YouTube channel. Subscribe!

Update: The stream is over, but we've added the YouTube embed of what you missed.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetGuild-Wars-2JoyStreamNCSoftpcWed, 27 Jun 2012 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/hundreds-of-thousands-have-already-bought-guild-wars-2-played/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/hundreds-of-thousands-have-already-bought-guild-wars-2-played/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/hundreds-of-thousands-have-already-bought-guild-wars-2-played/#commentsThe Guild Wars 2 beta opened the weekend of April 27 to anyone who had pre-purchased the title, free from NDAs or embargoes, and "hundreds of thousands" of people signed on to test it out, ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien writes. ArenaNet couldn't handle all of the potential players, but as any practiced spokesman would, O'Brien frames the insufficient server capacity in its most positive form:

"The number of people who pre-purchased the game far exceeded our expectations, and we had to temporarily disable pre-purchases," O'Brien says. "In the end that wasn't enough, and even with 48 worlds we didn't have enough server capacity to meet the huge demand. Fortunately, the vast majority of players were able to get into the game and experience Guild Wars 2 in all its glory."

If a developer has to have a problem, we think "too many people want to play our game" is a pretty good one. ArenaNet will host a stress test tomorrow, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT, again open to anyone (including us) who's pre-purchased Guild Wars 2.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetbetaGuild-Wars-2mike-obrienpcSun, 13 May 2012 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/exploring-the-beta-and-beyond-in-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/exploring-the-beta-and-beyond-in-guild-wars-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/exploring-the-beta-and-beyond-in-guild-wars-2/#commentsIn a time when all MMORPGs charged a monthly subscription fee, Guild Wars was the shining light that said a monthly payment wasn't the only future for the genre. For enthusiasts of the first game in the series, ArenaNet didn't need to change much in Guild Wars 2, but the upcoming title adds upon the instanced gameplay of the original by adding events and making the universe feel more alive than ever before.

Gone are the healers and quests have been abandoned, but you shouldn't see that as a bad thing, as ArenaNet's new direction really drives home why Guild Wars 2 doesn't seem to be your average MMO.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArenaNetGuild-Wars-2pcSat, 05 May 2012 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/guild-wars-2-preview-common-sense/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/guild-wars-2-preview-common-sense/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/27/guild-wars-2-preview-common-sense/#comments
Of the many -- so, so many -- MMOs represented on the PAX Prime 2011 show floor, ArenaNet's long-in-development Guild Wars 2 easily presents the most outside-the-box thinking. Where other entries in the genre tend to look at their contemporaries and attempt to iteratively repair their rough edges, Guild Wars 2 throws out baby, bathwater and tub, starting with a base that's altogether unprecedented.

Take, for instance, this core conceit: Why do other MMOs require you to stand still to use most of your character's abilities? Why not allow them to fire off powers while ducking and dodging through salvos of enemy attacks? Why not let heroes use their powers, regardless of whether or not they're targeting an enemy? Why not put some action in your MMO, or vice versa? ArenaNet seems to have noticed most developers' proclivity for sacrificing streamlined gameplay for staple MMO characteristics, and repeatedly asked that very question: Why?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetguild-warsGuild-Wars-2mmommorpgncsoftpax-prime-2011pcSat, 27 Aug 2011 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/gamescom-2011-exhibitors-revealed-valve-on-board/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/gamescom-2011-exhibitors-revealed-valve-on-board/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/gamescom-2011-exhibitors-revealed-valve-on-board/#comments
Europe's Gamescom 2011 convention is starting to take shape, with a hefty list of exhibitors revealed by GameCloud. The list includes most of the major players from E3, including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Capcom, EA. Activision was notably absent from the list, which is odd given that it usually attends the convention. Gamescom will also be sporting some exhibitors not seen at E3, chief among them being Valve and NCSoft.

Just what Valve has planned is anyone's guess. Dota 2, perhaps (we've heard it's kind of a big deal over there). NCSoft, on the other hand, is almost certain to show off its upcoming MMO, Guild Wars 2. Rest assured, we'll be on hand to see what the fuss is about.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dota-2dsgamescom-2011Guild-Wars-2macmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3wiixboxFri, 17 Jun 2011 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/guild-wars-2-to-avoid-retail-mmo-expansion-model/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/guild-wars-2-to-avoid-retail-mmo-expansion-model/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/guild-wars-2-to-avoid-retail-mmo-expansion-model/#comments
MMORPG developer ArenaNet is no stranger to implementing standalone additions to its subscription-free title Guild Wars, but it sounds like the studio won't follow the same strategy for the game's long-developed sequel. Speaking to Gamerzines, Guild Wars 2 lead designer Eric Flannum explained, "At this time we don't plan to continue with the standalone expansion model," adding that such add-ons "split our player base unnecessarily and also caused us to focus development effort on things that were redundant with the original release of the game such as tutorial areas and duplicates of already existing skills."

Update: An earlier version of this post misunderstood Flannum's message, which does not count out the possibility of traditional expansions -- only standalone add-ons which do not require the base game, such as Guild Wars: Factions and Nightfall. We apologize for the confusion, and thank the commenters who pointed out the error.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetexpansionGuild-Wars-2mmommorpgncsoftpcWed, 15 Jun 2011 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/april-fools-guild-wars-2-introduces-modern-commando-warfare/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/april-fools-guild-wars-2-introduces-modern-commando-warfare/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/01/april-fools-guild-wars-2-introduces-modern-commando-warfare/#comments
Not to be outdone by Blizzavision's World of Duty: Modern Warcraft, it appears NCsoft's Guild Wars 2 will counter with a Commando profession for the upcoming MMO. Featuring the motto: "If it bleeds, I can kill it," the contemporary military unit will "Oscar Mike" into the fight on land, sea or air across the fantasy realm.

Some may argue that the profession is overpowered against evil bunny and dragon tangos, given that the class can equip grenades, drive all types of modern vehicles, and call in gunships, Predator air strikes and naval bombardment... but allow us to assure you that it totally is. Good thing the profession is just another April Fools joke.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>April-FoolsApril-Fools-2011Guild-Wars-2NCsoftpcFri, 01 Apr 2011 22:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/guild-wars-2s-gdc-presentation-now-available-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/guild-wars-2s-gdc-presentation-now-available-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/06/guild-wars-2s-gdc-presentation-now-available-on-video/#comments
At last, we know why ArenaNet and NCSoft haven't realeased too many gameplay trailers for their upcoming MMO, Guild Wars 2 -- they were just waiting for GDC 2011, where they'd reveal enough video from the game to drown the internet. Check out four clips from their presentation below!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetgdc-2011guild-warsGuild-Wars-2ncsoftpcvideoSun, 06 Mar 2011 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/guild-wars-retrospective-does-more-with-less/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/guild-wars-retrospective-does-more-with-less/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/guild-wars-retrospective-does-more-with-less/#comments
If you don't believe anything can be accomplished by some folks crammed in a spare bedroom, then you've gotta watch this video chronicling the creation of Guild Wars. We wonder what was worse: sitting elbow-to-elbow all day with colleagues or slow suffocation from all that Cheetos dust.

As Guild Wars 2 preps for its US hands-on debut at PAX this weekend, we followed up with NCsoft about the current state of the series. The publisher informed us that the original Guild Wars has now sold over 6.5 million units. Roughly half of those copies found homes in Europe, with Germany making up the largest fan base, which is why the publisher debuted hands-on gameplay for the sequel at this year's Gamescom.

As for Guild Wars 2's speculated release window, NCsoft is taking the Blizzard approach to the game's launch status and saying "when it's done." A representative for the company told us an MMO -- even one like Guild Wars 2 that is going down a different path -- can't be released nowadays until it's finished. It's a lesson NCsoft learned harshly through Tabula Rasa. Hopefully the eventual launch of Guild Wars 2 will wipe the slate clean of that painful memory.

Best of Family Entertainment: Kirby's Epic Yarn (Nintendo of Europe GmbH)

Those are certainly some adequate choices, but considering the international presence and size of the show, it would seem prudent that the Gamescom awards seek out a better mix and quantity of judges for future shows.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crysis-2dsgamescom-2010gamescom-awardsGran-Turismo-5guild-wars-2kirbys-epic-yarnmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationplaystation-moveps3super-scribblenautswiixboxMon, 23 Aug 2010 15:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/guild-wars-2-trailer-explains-the-mmo-manifesto/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/guild-wars-2-trailer-explains-the-mmo-manifesto/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/guild-wars-2-trailer-explains-the-mmo-manifesto/#comments
Rarely do we ever associate the word "Manifesto" with anything positive -- but this recent trailer/dev diary for Guild Wars 2, which uses the ominous M-word as its moniker, fills us with something close to unbridled joy. Check out what NCSoft and ArenaNet are doing differently in the video below.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetGuild-Wars-2mmorpgncsoftpcWed, 11 Aug 2010 03:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/guild-wars-2-trailer-introduces-us-to-the-games-races/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/guild-wars-2-trailer-introduces-us-to-the-games-races/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/guild-wars-2-trailer-introduces-us-to-the-games-races/#comments Let's see, there's the human race, the nomadic warrior race, the mystical forest people race, the big ugly race, and the miniature race. Looks like all the MMORPG archetypes are covered! Fine, there's a bit more lore contained within the above trailer for Guild Wars 2, which explains all the motivations and backstories for each of the game's five races. Still, who cares about that stuff? Where's all the loot?

For a comprehensive breakdown of the trailer's plot elements, and some speculation on how the story of the sequel will unfold, we suggest checking out our sister site, Massively. This kind of thing is right in their wheelhouse.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetguild-warsguild-wars-2mmommorpgncsofttrailerFri, 04 Dec 2009 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/ncsoft-hints-at-guild-wars-2-beta-in-2010-and-launch-in-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/ncsoft-hints-at-guild-wars-2-beta-in-2010-and-launch-in-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/ncsoft-hints-at-guild-wars-2-beta-in-2010-and-launch-in-2011/#comments The last we heard on the tentative launch window of Guild Wars 2 was a fairly vague "2010 or 2011." Fortunately, if comments made by NCSoft CEO Jaeho Lee during a recent investors' call are on the level, it seems NCSoft has made up its mind about the game's release year. Kind of. Somewhat. A little.

While speaking about the game (and another of the company's titles, Blade and Soul), Jaeho stated, "I believe there will be certain public events in the year 2010 ... at least a closed beta test for those titles. Commercialization will be expected, at this point, probably some time in the year 2011." We can stick it out until the year after next before getting our hands on this good-lookin' sequel -- we just hope it's not pushed back any further. See, we'd really like to invest some time in the game before the world ends.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetguild-warsguild-wars-2mmommorpgncsoftTue, 10 Nov 2009 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/20/guild-wars-2-site-opens-first-trailer-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/20/guild-wars-2-site-opens-first-trailer-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/20/guild-wars-2-site-opens-first-trailer-revealed/#commentsAnd what a trailer it is! NCSoft and ArenaNet are taking their sweet time getting the upcoming sequel to their free-to-play MMO, Guild Wars 2, all put together. Finally, we get a look at the delicious fruits of their labor. The five-minute-long debut trailer for the game (posted above) reveals the game's five playable classes, gives a brief summary of the game's overarching plot, and caps it off with a stunning look at the title's varied environments.

There's also a fairly comprehensive FAQ sheet up on the game's recently-opened site -- the highlight from which is a re-confirmation that the game will feature zero subscription fees. Penny-pinchers, rejoice! This particular cost-efficient online RPG is looking phenomenal.

Bad news for folks who've been hotly anticipating NCsoft's upcoming sequel to their subscription-free MMO -- according to a new release schedule buried within an investor finance briefing, the release window for Guild Wars 2is now a remarkably vague 2010 - 2011. Considering the last tentative launch period for the game we heard was "second half 2008", this 730-day window is more than a little disheartening.

Though they did just suffer a few layoffs and are apparently skipping out of E3, NCsoft isn't exactly economically plagued -- their latest title, Aion, sold like hotcakes in Korea during Q4, bringing in a hefty year-end chunk of change. So, if it's not for financial reasons, what's causing this major delay? Is the Guild Wars 2 dev team taking time off to work on their needlepoint? Are they training for the winter olympics? Are they following in the footsteps of their former colleague and becoming idiosyncratic millionaire cosmonauts? We may never know.

As games have evolved, so too has the role of storytelling in the titles we play. As we turn the corner on 2008, we asked multiple industry personalities across all walks of game development on titles such as Dragon Age: Origins, Bionic Commando and Guild Wars for their thoughts.

What's next for in-game story telling? In this, our final segment looking at video game narratives, our collective of industry professionals offer insight into what they believe is the next big challenge facing the evolution of story telling in the games we play.

As games have evolved, so too has the role of storytelling in the titles we play. As we turn the corner on 2008, we asked multiple industry personalities across all walks of game development on titles such as Dragon Age: Origins, Bionic Commando and Guild Wars for their thoughts.

As games have evolved, so too has the role of storytelling in the titles we play. As we turn the corner on 2008, we asked multiple industry personalities across all walks of game development on titles such as Dragon Age: Origins, Bionic Commando and Guild Wars for their thoughts.

Epic Games' Michael Capps recently caused quite an uproar among gamers with his suggestion to offer the conclusion to games as premium DLC rather than as part of the core experience. As the latest in our continuing week-long feature, we asked our panel of industry personalities what they thought of the proposal. Interestingly, much of the group was noticibly more tight-lipped in their responses than when answering other questions.

As games have evolved, so too has the role of storytelling in the titles we play. As we turn the corner on 2008, we asked multiple industry personalities across all walks of game development on titles such as Dragon Age: Origins, Bionic Commando and Guild Wars for their thoughts.

While narrative has taken on a larger role, time and again we end up being left unsatisfied in the final moments with endings that fail to wrap up stories in interesting or compelling ways. In our continuing week-long feature, we asked our diverse collection of industry personalities why so many endings in the games we play leave us cold.

As games have evolved, so too has the role of storytelling in the titles we play. As we turn the corner on 2008, we asked multiple industry personalities across all walks of game development on titles such as Dragon Age: Origins, Bionic Commando and Guild Wars for their thoughts.

How important are stories? How about endings? Over the next week this diverse group of personalities sounds off on these and other story-driven topics, starting today as we open up by asking whether or not narrative shares an equal burden as gameplay in carrying the video game experience.

NCsoft announced today that its distinctly non pay-for-play MMORPG, Guild Wars, has sold five million units globally in a little under three years. The Guild Wars milestone takes into account the original game plus its three expansions: Factions, Nightfall and Eye of the North.

Guild Wars 2 is currently in development and (if it's still on track) is expected in the second half of this year. ArenaNet, developers of Guild Wars, says it will continue to support the original game and its "millions of customers." For the sake of semantics it's worth noting that this doesn't mean five million players ever consistently played Guild Wars, just that five million copies from the franchise have sold, but it's still a milestone in an arena dominated by the one.